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SBRT - high dose, few fractions, delivered accurately.

Stereotactic body radiotherapy: 1–8 fractions of high-dose, image-guided radiation to a well-defined tumour. Curative intent for prostate, lung and liver primaries. Local control for spine and oligometastases. Consultant clinical oncologist-led.

See indicative pricing
A radiographer guides a patient onto the bed of an advanced 3 Tesla MRI scanner in a London imaging suite

Indicative pricing

What private SBRT costs in the UK.

Indicative ranges across our partner UK units.

In short

£18,000–£28,000, delivered in 5 sessions over 1–2 weeks.

Procedure Indicative range
Prostate SBRT (5 fractions) £18,000–£28,000
Lung SBRT (3–5 fractions) £15,000–£26,000
Liver SBRT (3–5 fractions) £18,000–£30,000
Spine SBRT (1–3 fractions) £12,000–£22,000
Oligometastasis SBRT (per site, 3–5 fractions) £10,000–£18,000
Planning CT plus MRI simulation £1,200–£2,200
Rectal spacer for prostate SBRT (SpaceOAR) £2,000–£3,500
Clinical oncology consultation only £300–£500

Prices vary by centre, by platform (standard linac, MRI-linac, CyberKnife), by fractionation and by whether planning imaging, rectal spacer and follow-up imaging are bundled.

The problem

SBRT is not offered universally - and it should be considered universally.

Prostate 5-fraction SBRT is standard-of-care. Oligometastatic SBRT changes survival. Both remain under-offered outside the biggest centres. We fix that.

  • Ask the SBRT question, every prostate case

    Five fractions of prostate SBRT match 20 in outcome. Anyone offered radiotherapy without the 5-fraction option has not been given the full picture.

  • Oligomets: treat every visible site

    Modern evidence - SABR-COMET and successors - supports SBRT to every metastatic site in oligometastatic disease as part of the treatment plan.

  • Volume matters

    SBRT planning and delivery quality track hard with centre volume. We pick centres by SBRT throughput and MDT depth, not brochure gloss.

When it helps

When SBRT is the right step.

The situations we see most, plus one red flag that means specialist review urgently rather than a routine booking.

  • Localised prostate cancer

    Low, intermediate and selected high-risk disease - 5 fractions of SBRT deliver equivalent cure to 20-fraction radiotherapy with the same or lower toxicity.

  • Early-stage non-small cell lung cancer

    For medically inoperable stage I NSCLC or those who decline surgery - SBRT achieves 90 percent local control at 3 years.

  • Primary and metastatic liver tumours

    Hepatocellular carcinoma unfit for surgery or ablation, and colorectal or other liver metastases as part of an oligometastatic strategy.

  • Painful vertebral metastasis

    High-dose SBRT gives more durable pain control than conventional radiotherapy for spinal metastases from radioresistant primaries.

  • Oligometastatic disease (1–5 sites)

    SABR-COMET-era evidence supports SBRT to all visible metastatic sites in oligometastatic prostate, breast, colorectal and other primaries - with meaningful survival gains.

  • Adrenal, pancreas and lymph-node oligomets

    Small, well-defined lesions where surgery would be over-treatment - SBRT is the modern alternative.

  • Re-irradiation of a previously treated field

    SBRT can safely re-treat some previously irradiated sites - spine, prostate, lung - where dose-volume histograms allow.

  • Not right for: cord compression with instability

    An unstable spinal metastasis with cord compression is a neurosurgical emergency first - decompress, stabilise, then SBRT.

Procedure options

Regimen and platform vary by target - the underlying principle does not.

1, 3, 5 or 8 fractions; standard linac, MRI-linac or CyberKnife; breath hold, gating or tracking - chosen for the tumour, not the centre.

  • Prostate SBRT - 5 fractions (CHHiP/PACE data)

    The dominant modern prostate radiotherapy regimen: 36.25–40 Gy in 5 fractions over 1–2 weeks. Equivalent cure to conventional schedules, similar toxicity.

  • Lung SBRT - 3–8 fractions

    For peripheral stage I NSCLC 3 fractions is typical; central tumours need 5–8 fractions to protect the airway and vessels. 4D-CT and respiratory management are essential.

  • Liver SBRT with breath hold or gating

    3–5 fractions with active breathing control or gated delivery. Contrast MRI in planning for target definition.

  • Spine SBRT - 1–3 fractions

    Delivered with sub-millimetre setup accuracy on a modern linac or CyberKnife. Vertebral body targets with cord-sparing constraints.

  • Brain SBRT (SRS)

    Sister technique for intracranial oligomets - 1–5 fractions with frame or frameless immobilisation. Covered on a separate SRS pathway.

  • MRI-linac SBRT

    Real-time MRI guidance during treatment - the newest and most precise platform, particularly valuable for moving abdominal targets.

  • CyberKnife robotic SBRT

    Real-time tumour tracking with a robotic arm - historic prostate SBRT platform, still excellent for spine and re-treatment cases.

  • Proton SBRT - where appropriate

    Occasionally proton therapy is a better fit - paediatrics, skull-base, some re-irradiation. Not the answer for most adult SBRT.

Safety and recovery

What to expect afterwards - honestly.

SBRT is well established. Side-effects depend on the site - most are modest, most settle within weeks, and modern planning has cut serious toxicity to well below 5 percent for most indications.

  • Painless during delivery

    No sensation during the beam. What you notice is the couch position and immobilisation - a mask for spine or brain, cushions and knee support for prostate, arm-up for lung.

  • Prostate SBRT - urinary and rectal

    Grade 2+ acute urinary side-effects in around 20–30 percent, usually settling by 3 months. Late toxicity is low with a rectal spacer - under 5 percent grade 2+ rectal.

  • Lung SBRT - pneumonitis and chest wall

    Radiation pneumonitis in around 5–10 percent, usually mild. Chest-wall pain and rib fracture 2–5 percent for peripheral tumours; central tumours need adapted regimens.

  • Liver SBRT - fatigue and enzymes

    Transient rise in liver enzymes and fatigue for 2–4 weeks. Radiation-induced liver disease is now rare with modern planning.

  • Spine SBRT - pain flare and fracture

    Pain flare in 30–40 percent (steroid-managed) and vertebral compression fracture in 10–15 percent, especially in lytic disease. Cord sparing is the priority constraint.

  • Fatigue is the universal side-effect

    Modest, cumulative fatigue during treatment and for 2–4 weeks after. Rare enough to interfere with work in a desk-based role.

  • Fertility and contraception

    SBRT to pelvic sites can affect fertility and hormones. Sperm banking or egg preservation is discussed before treatment where relevant.

  • Not right for large targets

    SBRT is designed for well-defined targets, typically under 5 cm. Large primaries need conventional or moderately hypofractionated radiotherapy.

  • Red flags after SBRT

    New severe pain, breathlessness, high fever, or neurological symptoms after treatment need same-day team review, not a routine follow-up call.

Reading your notes

Your notes in four parts. Read the last one first.

Whether prostate, lung, liver or spine, the treatment plan and end-of-treatment summary keep to the same shape.

A UK consultant clinical oncologist reviewing a patient's SBRT treatment plan

A quiet reminder

Clinical language is precise and can read coldly - we translate it for you.

If you would like us to talk you through your notes before your review, just ask.

  1. 01 Header

    Site, dose and fractionation

    Which organ, prescribed dose in Gray, number of fractions, treatment platform, and intent (curative, oligometastatic, palliative).

  2. 02 Technique

    Planning, immobilisation and motion

    Planning CT and MRI details, immobilisation device, motion management (4D-CT, breath hold, gating, tracking), and image guidance protocol.

  3. 03 Findings

    Dose-volume constraints met

    Whether critical-organ constraints (spinal cord, rectum, lung, small bowel) were within thresholds. Any protocol deviations noted.

  4. 04 Impression

    Response plan, imaging, systemic handover

    Read this first: expected response, first follow-up date, imaging schedule and any interface with hormonal or systemic therapy team.

Recognised by major UK insurers

BupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealixBupaAXA HealthVitalityAvivaWPACignaHealix

SBRT is usually covered when a recognised indication is met. Prostate 5-fraction SBRT is now specifically funded by most UK private insurers.

Frequently asked

Everything we get asked about SBRT.

Quick answers on prostate 5-fraction, lung SBRT, oligometastasis, cost and side-effects.

  • What actually is SBRT?

    Stereotactic body radiotherapy is high-precision external-beam radiotherapy that delivers very high doses to a small, well-defined tumour in 1 to 8 sessions - usually 3 or 5. Precision comes from planning CT and MRI, immobilisation, real-time imaging on the linac, and (for moving targets) respiratory management. The high dose per fraction is what makes SBRT biologically stronger than conventional radiotherapy - it delivers a bigger cancer-killing punch in a much shorter course.

  • How does prostate SBRT compare with 20-session radiotherapy?

    The PACE-B trial randomised over 800 UK men to 5-fraction SBRT versus 20 or 39 fractions of conventional radiotherapy. Cancer control was identical at 5 years, urinary side-effects were similar, and rectal side-effects were slightly better with SBRT. Five fractions over 1–2 weeks is now a standard-of-care option for low and intermediate-risk prostate cancer.

  • How much does private SBRT cost in the UK?

    Roughly £18,000–£28,000 for prostate SBRT (5 fractions), £15,000–£26,000 for lung (3–5), £18,000–£30,000 for liver, £12,000–£22,000 for spine, and £10,000–£18,000 per oligometastasis site. Planning imaging is £1,200–£2,200. Rectal spacer for prostate is £2,000–£3,500.

  • Is SBRT painful, and what does a session feel like?

    Not painful. You lie still on the treatment couch - 20 to 45 minutes on the table, most of it careful setup and image verification. Actual beam-on time is 5 to 15 minutes. You do not feel the radiation itself; some patients notice fatigue by the second week.

  • Can SBRT cure metastatic cancer?

    For oligometastatic disease - 1 to 5 metastatic sites - SBRT to every visible site combined with systemic therapy improves progression-free and, in several trials, overall survival. It does not cure widespread metastatic disease. The evidence is strongest for oligometastatic prostate, colorectal and breast cancer, and increasingly for other primaries.

  • What is a rectal spacer and do I need one for prostate SBRT?

    A rectal spacer is a small hydrogel injected between the prostate and rectum before planning, creating a 1 cm gap for 3 months while treatment is delivered. It substantially reduces rectal toxicity and is standard practice for prostate SBRT in most UK private centres. It is done as a 20-minute day-case procedure.

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